By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Chilton County Virtual School is an option available to local high school students with a 2.0 GPA or a 70 average.

An information meeting will be held on Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. at PASS Academy for parents and students interested in this option.

Reliable internet access and a computer are required to enroll in virtual school. Students will be required to take all exams at PASS Academy.

“They are required to log in and do work each day,” Principal Kelvin Boulware said.

However, students have flexibility in what time of day they complete the work.

“It provides them a lot of flexibility,” Boulware said. “Some of our students have needs to work. They are also involved in vocational programs.”

Last year, a student chose virtual school so he could complete an internship with a car company.

Classes are completed online through ACCESS and Edmentum. ACCESS is an online learning platform provided through the Alabama State Department of Education. Edmentum is an online learning platform that Chilton County Schools has purchased a subscription to.

The classes are offered  free to the students.

Electives are also available through the program. Boulware said some of these include foreign languages, marine biology and computer science.

“Most of our students have experience using ACCESS, because all our schools use it,” Boulware said.

Virtual students can still attend and participate in extracurricular activities at their base school, including playing on sports teams.

For example, a Thorsby student who choses to do virtual school would still have the opportunity to try out for the football team.

For more information, call (205) 280-2919.

There were 24 students who participated in the program last year; 15 of these students completed the full year, Boulware said.

Virtual school is only available to students in ninth-12th grades.